Power fork



' April.. 19,1927. 1,625,526

S. DAVEY POWER FORK Filed Aug. 9, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheen I rfi/'zig'. 1.

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April 19, 1927. '1,525,526

S. DAVEY POWER FORK` Filed Aug. 9. 192e 2 shee'gs-sheetz grwentoz Y www(Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

Util 'TD ST A SGHUYLERDAJVEY; OF STILLWATER; YOIRK.

application ined August 9, wat.` serial -Noj12a24a The invention'relatesto an improved "torm intendedto be. operated'b'y power r'om a' suitablederriclcor. othersource andtob'e.`

member-.1.provided at each .end Within. pairot ears'2 and'3.v Av rodLlpasses through the ears 2and azsimilar rod y5 passes through' the ears3. Curved tines vor lingers-6 ofjthe form shown: in .the drawinghavetheir inner ends provided Awitheyes 7 which embrace the rods tand. 5.respectively. The tines are. spaced'v on the rodsby means of sleeves 18.

At each. sidel ot'the central portion i1 of thed'evice is anVopenrectangulantrame and since both sides arefsimilar iiifconstruction,only one will. .bey referred to in. the .following descriptiom Eachvframe comprises side members 3 connected .by -end members 9. and the.tramemay bemadeof one'pieceofinaf. teria] .oi-fin separatepiecesrigidly fastened together.v The tines 6 have generally straight .portion.10 extendingsome distance trom the eyesf'land these portionsarefastenedtof lthe trame` members 8 by .means tot metal strips orWashers 11, each' ofWhich engages two ad-jacenttinesand`,.is...tastenedv to the side 8 of the frame by a bolt `12.' In this:manner the tines. .6 i and frames .will turn as units about the rodslandt ,.respectively-..

At each end there is attached to each of the longitudinal.frames-8gpairs of tines 137 14 and 15, each pair formed ot' a single piece otmaterial and the tines decreasing in length inwardly as illustrated. Thebend of each pair of tines is held to the ends 9 of the frame by meansof metal strips or Washers 16 fastened to the trame by bolts 17. Theseend tines are employed in order to substantially close the ends of thefork and prevent the escape of material When the fork is loaded and isbeing swung from one position to another.

At each end there is attached to the cen tral part 1 by bolts 19 orsimilar fastenings strip 2O which extends outwardly so that andothersimilar more or less loose ma`-`A its ends. 21; terminate outsideAof the tines t'. The *purposer ottlns 'strip `1s to` act asl ai cleaningor clearing device torthezend :tinesl` When' the vfork' issWungjto the`open dottedI line position shown "in Figurei 1.` K

To the outer member 8oteaclrframe near the.center-.tlrere'of; isattached` in `any desired manner an eye`22towh'ich. is tastenedone'end'of acable'23; The two'cables'23are led toaV common drum, not shown;Themanner in which this drum is operated lis" imma:- terialx :to'r thepurpose` of'theinventi'onvand it ristheretre not shown. It isobvious.that a piill on the cables 23`Will"`move*both; frames. With'thesupported-tines about the'axesio'l" the rods l and 5 to the dotted lineposition' of Figure land therefore open the fork.

An arm 24erisesfrom the 'innersidememberfS' of'one trame;v beingattached Lthereto ata point slightly to oneside-ot the center and at itsupper'end'carries a Apulley25 A similar arm` 26 `risesitrom the innermember 8 of the other frame, being attachedthereto at a point'slightlyon the opposite'sideof the center and terminates at its upp'er'en'd in apulley l27. The arms 24and*26"i"are crossed. so thatthe pulleyslie onthe'sides opposite-:to thel point of attach'ment'o-th'e arms to f theirrespectiveJ frames.

A` cable 28"'passes around the drum '27 and has its end'attch'edtoaprojectionv 29Jon the arm. '24.1 AI` similar cable'.- 301 passes aroundth'e pulley. 25 and'hasfits end'atv`r tached toalprojection 3101i' th'earm 262.x

Assuming lthat the v parts areV in the full line position. otfFigure. 1,in .which positionlthei'ork. is -presumed to be loaded', and itisdesired``to'emptyv the frl, the cables 28. and .30; Whichaare Wound upona single drum,..Will'slacken and a. pull'be Aexercised upon. the cables2`3. This'Will, as.y above stated, swing.;tlielframes and tines tothedotted .line position of Figure 1.` At the same time7 the pulley 27 andarm 26 Will swing, toward the left, While the pulley 25 and arm'2l1swings toward the right and these parts ultimately reach the dotted lineposition of Figure 1. The central tines are so spaced that these partsmay move between adjacent tines in this movement. Assuming that the forkhas now been emptied and' returned to the place Where another load is tobe grasped, the fork Will be lowered upon the material and the cables 23Will be slackened.V Thereafter a pull Will be exerted on the cables 28and 30, raising the pulleys and arms from the dotted line position ofFigure l to the iull line position and thereby positively forcing thetines to grasp a load or' material. As soon as the forks have beenclosed, continued pull on the cables 28 and 30 will litt the Wnoledevice, together With its load and it can then be swung to any desii-edposition.

Since it is necessary to have the central tines somewhat more widelyspaced it has been round desirable to curve inwardly the ends l2 of thetwo tines adjacent such space so that the outer ends of the tines aresubstantially evenly spaced.

lt is obvious that the precise form and construction of the device maybe varied and that it is immaterial what the exact source ot power is sotar as the invention is concerned. Minor changes in the proportions,materials and arrangement of parts are understood to 'fall within thespirit of the invention, Which is to be regarded as limited only by thescope ot the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A power fork comprising a central support, a pair of rectangularframes, a plurality of tines connected to each frame, means pivotallysupporting said tines and frames trom the central support, and means forpositively moving the tines` and frames to and l'rom operative position,each of said moving means being operable to raise and lower said forli.

2. A power fork comprising a central support, a pair ot rods supportedthereby, a series of tines supported by each rod, a rectangular iframeconnected to each series et tines, the trames and tines being movableabout the axis oi the rods, and means connected to the trames iorpositively moving them and the tines to and from operative position,each oi said moving means being operable to raise and lower said orlr.

3. A power 'l'oi-l; comprisingr a central support, a pair ot rectangulartrames, a series et tincs connected to the sides et each iframe, meansfor mounting the tines and utrames on the central portion ,tor movementtoward and from each other, and a series ot' tines carried by each endof each frame and lying in planes parallel to the other tines.

et. A power forli comprising a central support, a pair of rect-angularframes, a series of tines connect-ed to the sides of each frame, meansfor mounting the tines and frames on the central portion for movementtoward and from each other, and a series of tines carried by each endo'l' each. 'trame and lying in planes parallel to the other tines, thetines ot' each end series decreasing in length as the central support isap preached.

5. A power fork comprising a central support, pair ol rectangularVframes, a series of tines connected to the sides oit each frame, meansfor mounting the tines and trames on the central portion for movementtoward and from each other, and a series ot' tines carried by each endol cach trame and lying in planes parallel to the other tines, the endtines being ar anged in pairs, each pair made of one piece, and thelength thereoll decreasing as the central support is approached.

G. A power form comprising a central support, a pair olI rectangularframes, a series of tines connected to the sides of each frame, meansfor mounting the tines and trames on the central portion for movementtoward and from each other, a series oi tines carried by each end ot'each traine and lying in planes parallel to the other tines, and meansfor clearing these tnes ol material when the fork is opened.

T. A power fork comprising a central support, a series ot tinespivotally supported by each side of the support, a trame con nected toeach series ol tines, an arm rising from the inner side o'tl each trameand carrying a pulley at its tree end, said arms crossing intermediatetheir ends, and an actuating cable passing around each pulley, eachcable being attached at its end to the other arm, whereby pull on thecables will positively nieve the series ol' tines to operative position.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name.

SCHUYLER DAVEY.

